Up to 60 percent of Bay Area workers may benefit from law to get commuters off roads

Up to 60 percent of Bay Area workers may benefit from law to get commuters off roads

Commuters like these at Palo Alto’s Caltrain station could benefit from a new law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown. (Photo: Caroline Davis/ Peninsula Press)

Gov. Jerry Brown’s recent signing of a bill that authorizes a four-year pilot commuter benefits program is expected to take cars off San Francisco Bay Area roads and put money back in the pockets of roughly 60 percent of the area’s workers.

Depending on how eligible employees choose to take advantage of the program, it could offer significant savings — or added expenses — for businesses, transportation officials say.

The legislation affects Bay Area companies with 50 or more full-time employees who work more than 20 hours a week. Those firms are required to offer employees a choice of three primary options, all designed to give a financial incentive to carpool or use mass transit.